The Song of Solomon

The Song of Solomon is a poem, sung in three parts: He, She, and Others. We are looking at the section under “She.”

The dream“I slept, but my heart was awake.”Song of Solomon 5:2

She is describing a dream: “I was asleep. But my mind was still going.” That’s what happens when you dream. The queen has retired to her private room. She has fallen asleep, and she starts to dream about the love of her life.

The knock“My beloved is knocking.”Song of Solomon 5:2

She hears the king knocking at her private quarters: “Open to me, my love. Let me in!” But she is not prepared! She is flustered. “My beloved put his hand to the latch, and my heart was thrilled within me” (5:4). Her heart is pounding… then she forgets all her excuses and she goes to the door, “I arose to open to my beloved” (5:5). She gets up, puts on her gown, and rubs a splash of myrrh on her hands: “I’m coming, dear!”

The shock“I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had turned and gone.” Song of Solomon 5:6

When she finally gets to the door, her loved one is gone! She goes out looking but cannot find him (5:6). Then she remembers him knocking and saying, “Open to me, my love” (5:2). He wanted to come in! I could have opened the door, but now he is gone. Then the dream turns into a nightmare: “The watchmen found me… they beat me, they bruised me…” (5:7).

Imagine her waking up at this point, bolting upright in her bed and saying, “I’m so glad that was only a dream!” But a dream like that stays with you. You wonder, What was all that about?

Colin Smith is the Senior Pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. He has authored a number of books, including Heaven, How I Got Here and Heaven, So Near - So Far. Colin is the President and Teacher for Unlocking the Bible. Follow him on Twitter.

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